Tyres on fire exercisefor rescue crew

TAVISTOCK fire crews recovered three bodies, including a child, from a smoke-filled tyre warehouse last week — in a life-saving training exercise.

In this case there was no tragedy as the three bodies were dummies and the smoke was out of a can.

Leading firefighter Tony Clark said the exercise, at Simon Allen's Tavistock Tyres on the Plymouth Road Industrial Estate, was part of their weekly training.

'We had a scenario, designed for realistic training, where there were three people trapped inside — they were fire service dummies, heavy and awkward, and one was a child,' he said.

'The whole point was that it was an environment somewhat different from our normal training environment at the station. Nothing was staged — it was a workshop full of tyres, batteries filled with acid and other normal hazards.'

The team trains a couple of hours each week to ensure the members are completely familiar with every piece of their increasingly complex equipment.

With the new computer-controlled breathing apparatus and protective clothing, Mr Clark said firefighters were often reduced to working with just two or three per cent of their normal senses, and that took some getting used to.

'The more practise the better — there's nothing to replace experience,' he said.

Simon Allen was roped into the exercise as well. He had to play the part of a distraught father desperate to get back into the building to rescue his child. He said he was prevented from entering once, but had to be man-handled out of the building after he sneaked in a second time.

'They filled the place with thick smoke. As soon as the lights went out you couldn't see a hand in front of your face. I was a real pain in their side while they were trying to deal with the "fire" and rescue the dummies,' he said.

Mr Clark said they appreciated the local traders helping out and were grateful to Mr Allen for supporting them in this way.

Mount House School also helps out and Tavistock Town Council has supplied council workshops, the town hall and the pannier market for other exercises.